Let your Hart lead the way
by PrettyinPinkNikki21
Summary: When Jonathan has an accident, could it make or break their relationship
1. Chapter 1

Jennifer had gone back to sleep, that morning before Jonathan left for work, he'd woken her up and made love to her, she had to admit, that was her favorite way to wake up, she wished they could have stayed in bed all day but she understood, as much as he loved her and wanted nothing more than to make love all day, he had a committed to his company despite the fact, it was more than capable of being run by its many divisions and executives.

Jennifer understood that Hart Industries was Jonathan's baby, but he worked himself so hard, that she often went by the office late at night with dinner because he'd worked all through lunch and there wasn't time to stop and she had to admit, she loved having picnics in his office because they often lead to make love on his couch.

But the weekend was supposed to be theirs, they would be going up to the cabin for 48 hours of nothing but dinners and making love and she was excited. The rang beside her head.

Yawning, she answered the phone, "Yes. Hi Darling,"

"Have I thanked you for starting my morning off in such lovely way," He practically purred.

"The pleasure was all mine," She giggled

"All ours," He turned down the street to where Hart Buildings were located, he never imagined as an orphan kid, he'd own one of the largest buildings in Downtown Los Angeles and that he'd be living in a mansion with his beautiful wife, "Have a good day," He barely got the words out when his car, the cherished yellow car that he was known for was broadsided.

Jennifer sat up, she could hear the impact and the crash, "Jonathan! Oh my god…Jonathan !" She screamed

Jonathan couldn't answer because the car phone had fallen out of his hands and the car was flipped on its side, his head having bounced off the window and then hit the steering wheel.

Immediately people began to surround the car, trying to pull Jonathan out of the car while cautious of his injuries, luckily, he'd hit his head and had passed out during the impact.

Jennifer couldn't understand what happened and hoped he was okay but if he was, Jonathan would have found a way to reassure her.

Talking to herself, "He's okay, I know he's okay," she got up and raced into the closet, if Jonathan was hurt, she needed to go to the hospital but which hospital? Her mind racing a thousand miles a minute, everything from cuts and bruises to broken bones, which were fine, she could deal with that, he would heal over time and she would take care of him.

Jennifer wouldn't allow herself to think the worst, that Jonathan was dead, her heart wouldn't allow it and even the thought of it made her stop breathing.

She began pulling out clothes when Max knocked on the bedroom door, over the years, he was often caught off guard when he walked in without knocking.

"Mrs. H?" He called, luckily after Jonathan had gone to work, she'd put on his dress shirt because it smelled like his cologne, so she wasn't completely naked tearing through the closet.

Jennifer was shaking and pulling out clothes, "Yes, Max,"

"The Police are downstairs for you," He wasn't sure what was going on but the expression on her face, the tears and the fact she was struggling to put a sweater one with no pants showed it was something about Mr. H.

Jennifer froze in position and felt her stomach drop to the floor, how could they have gotten there so fast? Minutes had only passed but she guessed since that she and Jonathan had often investigated crimes that involved the police, they were able to get a notification much quicker.

She whispered, "Tell them I'll be right down," Max didn't want to press her because he could see she was about to melt down.

Max, never one for affection but loving her as if he was her father, stepped over the clothes she'd tossed and hugged her, whispering "He'll be okay,"

Biting her lip and feeling the tears pour down her face, "I hope so,".

Breaking the hug after a few minutes, she finished getting dressed and went to the top of the stairs where two Officers, with sad looks on their faces looked up at her.

"I'm Mrs. Hart, how can I help you," She tried to sound tough but every step, she thought she might pass out.

"Mrs. Hart, we'd like you to come with us," The First Police Officer said, looking as if he were going to cry himself.

"Is my husband dead," She could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth.

"Ma'am, we're not sure but we'd like you to come with us," The second officer said extending his hand to her.

"Max," She said, reaching behind her to hold her up.

"We'll both go," Max made the decision for her and she smiled briefly at him.

Getting into a Police wasn't totally unfamiliar to them and Jennifer often felt embarrassed because it was giving them unneeded attention but, in this case, and this moment, she was grateful for the lights and sirens.

They screeched to a halt in front of the hospital and Jennifer jumped out before the car came to a stop.

Running to the nurse's station, she, without realizing it started yelling "I'm looking for my husband, Jonathan Hart!"

A nurse, with blood covered scrubs and tears streaming down her face, met Jennifer, "Mrs. Hart?"

"No, No!" She started screaming, he was supposed to be alive! "I want to see my husband!"

The nurse grabbed her into a hug, "He's alive, but has a lot of injuries" and then guided Jennifer into the room where Jonathan was being treated.

"Oh my god," She whispered, his face was bruised, and a bandage was wrapped around his head and his eyes, his arm broken, and stitches lined his strong jaw. "Hi Baby!" She tried to sound cheerful but couldn't contain the tears, he was still handsome, but she knew that his appearance was important to him.

"Jennifer," He reached out for her, she was grateful he didn't have amnesia but when he reached out for her and she was in the opposite direction, she began to panic.

"Jonathan, I'm over here," She stepped to the side of his bed and took his hand, but he still didn't turn his head toward her.

"I can't see," He whispered putting her hand to his face, "I've lost my vision."

Jennifer swallowed the scream she could feel in the back of her throat and leaned down beside him, "It's okay, we'll be okay," She kisses his face, cautious of the bruises and stitching.

He sighed, he wondered if he'd ever see her face again and if she was strong enough to deal with the fact that her husband would never be the same person, he was just two hours earlier.

"Hey, I love you," She declared, knowing that he had visions of her putting him into a nursing home and living it up on a cruise ship, but she was his wife and she promised that she would remain by his side until death do, they part.

The door swung open and an older doctor with dark brown hair burst in, "Mr. Hart, I see you've sustained a head injury, we're going to take you upstairs for testing and Mrs. Hart, I'm sorry but you are going to have to leave so Mr. Hart can rest quietly,"

Jonathan whispered to her, "I don't want to be alone," She kissed him again and stood in front of the Doctor.

"Can we speak outside," Jennifer's brown eyes glowed, like a Mama Bear protecting her cub.

Outside with the Doctor, Jennifer took note that they were almost of identical height and she felt that the Doctor was a dominating person in this hospital but if anyone was going to call the shots regarding Jonathan, it would be Jennifer.

"Mrs. Hart," the Doctor began, "I know that you are concerned about Mr. Hart, but we have everything under control, why don't you say goodbye to Mr. Hart and let him rest. "

"Ma'am, we've only just met and I'm grateful you are taking such good care of my husband, but I am not going anywhere. I am Mrs. Jonathan Hart and therefore I am not leaving my husband for a moment. He's frightened and needs stability. If you do not think that you can help provide that, we can find another doctor."

Jennifer turned on her heels and went back to Jonathan, somehow Max had slipped by them and was standing by the bed, looking solemn.

The Doctor quietly returned to the room, where she said through gritted teeth, "Mr. Hart, we're going to take you up now for a head-scan and to make see if there's a cause for your vision loss and if we can possibly restore it."

Jonathan nodded and gripped Jennifer's hand, "Okay,"

A few hours later, Jonathan was finished with his testing and he was exhausted, his head was pounding but when he tried to sleep with Jennifer sleeping on the chair beside him, he needed her beside him. but the bed wasn't big enough for both of them.

"Darling," He reached his hand out to feel her hair, "Jennifer," she woke up with a start, unsure of where she was and jumped.

"Oh Jonathan! " She said, "Are you okay?"

"I can't sleep," He confessed

"Are you in pain," She stood up, worried when he reached out with his good arm and pulled her down on the bed, even without his eyes, he knew where she was at all times.

It was their connection.

"Lay with me," He asked her quietly, "please,"

She kicked off her shoes and cautious of his broken arm, managed to squeeze herself beside him, he kissed her head and sighed, feeling as if he could finally relax.

Before she could close her eyes, she heard him mumble to her ear, "What are we going to do?"

"About what?" She leaned up to look at him.

"I may not get my vision back, I can't be Jonathan Hart, CEO anymore," He sounded so sad, she wanted to cry.

"Then you'll just be Jonathan Hart, my husband," She said kissing him.

"You are amazing, you know that" he hugged her as much as he could.

"It's you and me plus Max, that's all we need. "She said feeling him relax and knew that it was because of the medication as well as his own peace of mind.

"I'm glad," His voice faded, and she knew he'd slipped into sleep.

She couldn't relax, how could she? The man she loved was frightened and injured and their future was uncertain.

This morning, she was the wife of a Successful CEO, giddy after making love to her husband and now, she was simply the wife of a man who's future was up in the air, money would never be a problem but she knew Jonathan, he would never be satisfied stuck at home, he would want to continue his life as a CEO because that's all he knew, even as a kid and hustler, trying to survive, he would never allow himself to just become a shell of himself.

She didn't want to admit to him, but she was angry at him, why didn't he pay attention while he was driving, that he could have waited until he was at the office to call her. If only he hadn't been so careless, but she supposed, if she hadn't answered the phone, he might have been paying closer attention, she felt a tear slide down her face.

Before the accident, they'd been talking about starting their family, she was hesitant because their lives together were something beyond their dreams and they had everything and more, she felt complete, but she understood why he wanted a child.

He had been deprived of a childhood and that by not having one, he could make up for it by having his own child and spoiling it rotten. It wasn't the greatest reason to have a baby, but she understood, having lost her mother when she was 10.

She laid awake listening to Jonathan breathing, wondering and trying to imagine what life would be like if he couldn't regain his vision. Could she be capable of taking on such a task? Was she strong enough, it had been easier when he had amnesia because at least then, he could take care of his basic needs? She remembered how he came to bed nervous and they still made love, it was a bit awkward, but it was familiar.

She laid awake until the morning, when Max came by with a change of clothes for both of them and to bring her coffee, he didn't want to interfere, but he was worried about the both of them.

Jennifer had just finished changing her clothes when the Doctor came back in, worried, she sat next to Jonathan and took his hand.

"Mr. Hart, we've examined your tests and we've discovered that there is a possibly bone wrapped around your optic nerve that is preventing you from seeing. But the problem with this type of surgery, is that it could either improve your vision or you might become permanently blind."

Jonathan felt a little bit of hope while Jennifer felt more worried, what if the surgery didn't work?

"When will we do this surgery?" She asked quietly gripping his hand

"In a month, when we know that Mr. Hart's concussion has healed," The Doctor said quietly.

"What if I don't want the surgery?" Jonathan said, surprising Jennifer, she was positive he would be thrilled at the chance of having his vision restored.

"Then we'll have to see if your vision returns on its own or if it's permanent," The doctor then excused herself and left.

"Jonathan, you have to have this surgery," Jennifer said as soon as the door closed.

"Darling, I think we should wait," Jonathan replied, "Surgery comes with complications and I think we've had enough of those for a lifetime,"

"But this is your vision! We can't risk it," Jennifer stood up and paced the floor.

Something in Jonathan snapped, "This isn't your decision, this is mine," his tone surprised her, there were very few times he'd ever snapped at her and she understood, this was coming from a place of fear.

"No, Jonathan, this decision affects all of us," She said quietly before going into the bathroom to cry.

"Damn," he muttered under his breath.

She was in the bathroom for a long time and when she came out, her face didn't show any traces of her crying, just a determined woman, who pulled the chair up to Jonathan's side.

"Before we decide anything, we need to do what we've always done which is to talk. That's always been the biggest part of our relationship and that's not going to change. This can't change us, we have to be strong together." She pleaded.

Using his hand to feel for her face, he touched her cheek, "It won't change us, but this is going to change me because I've never known a life without my vision and I need to deal with this," He said

"Please don't shut me out," She said quietly.

"Never. "He promised.

Over the course of the next few days, Jennifer noticed small changes in Jonathan, not enough so that anyone outside of their family would notice but enough so that she would notice, little things like he became short tempered with her when she went to help with changing his bandages or that he refused to eat his meals unless Max brought him something.

The therapist said that this was Jonathan's way of coping, but Jennifer knew that her Jonathan was a survivor, he would come out of whatever this is. He just needed time.

And to be home.

The doctors felt that by staying in the hospital, Jonathan could receive therapy to learn to cope with the loss of his vision, but Jennifer knew better, he would recover better at Willow Pond, the familiarity of their lives would possibly lift his spirits and he would feel more like himself.

It took a lot of convincing, but Jennifer got the doctors to agree that the best place for Jonathan for rehabilitation.

She was packing up his clothes and he was watching her from the bed when he asked her a strange question.

"Darling," He said, "Can you toss me that orange," There were fruit baskets, and flowers galore from people all over the world. They were taking a few home but donating the rest to the hospital.

"Are you hungry?" She asked reaching into the basket.

"No, just toss to me," He insisted holding out his hands

"Okay," She was curious but at least he wasn't yelling at her, she gently threw the ball to him and was surprised he was able to catch it with such ease. "How did you do that?"

"Maddie taught me that, she taught me how to listen and sense," He spoke lovingly of his physical therapist, for a brief moment, Jennifer felt a twinge of jealous.

"I'm glad," Jennifer muttered, "Well, let's get you home,"

"Yes, Let's go home," Jonathan tossed the orange in the air.


	2. Could I leave you?

The Drive to Willow Hill was Quiet, Jonathan was exhausted and knew that he was taking out his frustration out on Jennifer, who'd taken on the patience of a saint in dealing with him. He never wanted to seem like a burden to her, but in this moment, he felt helpless and angry with the world and himself.

Jennifer took his hand and squeezed, there was nothing she could say that would make him feel better.

They drove through the gates and up to the side of the house, putting the car into park, she ran around to the other side of the car to open the door, but he'd beaten her to the punch, he opened the door and climbed out of the car.

"Let me help you, please," She said taking his hand guiding him to the door.

As soon as their feet hit the welcome mat, Max threw open the door, "Welcome Home, Mr. H!" he was so excited, he was like a kid in a candy store and Freeway barked at their feet.

"Hey Max," Jonathan said quietly, Max took his hand and shook before letting them into the house.

"Darling, let's get you settled into your office, we've put a bed there," Jennifer took his good arm, but he pulled away.

"I'd rather be up in our bedroom," He was adamant, he didn't want to be treated like an invalid.

"But the stairs," Max stammered, He'd spent all morning setting up a makeshift bed because both he and Mrs. H agreed that If Jonathan got up in the middle of the night and couldn't feel for the banister, he might hurt himself.

"We'll figure out something, Darling, I'm sure you want to take a shower and get comfortable," Jennifer interrupted. Max understood and went back into the kitchen.

Jonathan moved around the house, he had a floor plan in his head, but some things were different.

"Where's the chair that used to be near the bar?" He asked feeling it and noticing that the room seemed to have more room.

"We need some extra space, so I told Max to put the chair in the guest house," She put down his travel bag, for only a few days in the hospital, Max had packed enough for six months.

"Oh," He continued to walk around the room, trying to remember where everything was. "I'm thirsty,"

"Oh, let me get you some juice," she said but he held up his hand.

"I can do it," He used the cane he'd been given to the hospital to follow his way into the kitchen.

She gave up and went upstairs to take a shower, his stubbornness would be the most difficult part.

Jonathan stumbled around the kitchen until he figured out where the juice was, he was determined to live as normally as possible, despite his lack of vision.

Jennifer finished showering and after getting dressed, she came downstairs to look for him, "Jonathan?", wondering through the house but he wasn't in the kitchen and she saw the puddle of orange juice on the ground next to a smashed glass.

"Oh no," She mumbled and ran around the house, he wasn't in his office or in the library, Max must have taken Freeway for a walk.

Jennifer ran out of the house and was about to ask the Gardner to get her the golf cart when she spotted Jonathan in the garden.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jennifer walked to the garden and saw him sitting on a bench, "Darling?"

He stiffened up at her voice, "I'm here,"

She sat beside him, "Are you okay? I saw the juice on the floor,"

"I can't do this, I don't want to be here, I feel like a stranger in my own home, so I think what's best for us, is if I move into a center for the blind and you divorce me," He said quietly, his heart shattering.

"No," She swallowed hard, "I'm never doing that, we promised we'd be together until the end," She couldn't breath and felt the tears pour down her face.

"You deserve someone who isn't feeling the walls and can tell you how beautiful you are all the time, who can make love to you with their eyes open." He tried to face her but the bandages on his face made it hard.

"Is that all you think our relationship is based on? I've never once thought of us as being that narcissistic. I thought we simply loved each other, and if that's not the case, then what have we been doing all these years?" She was torn between being furious and being sad, taking his hands and putting them on her face, "What do you feel?"

Jonathan paused, "Powder, lots of powder," He smiled

She shook her head, "I love you, your big jerk and I'll never stop loving you. I don't care if I have told you every minute of every day, I didn't marry you because of your vision, I married you because I love your heart."

"And my 68 Jag," He said leaning forward to kiss her face.

"Actually, 67 Jaguar," She kissed him back, he pulled her forward and she practically fell in his lap.

"I'm sorry I've been acting so childish," He confessed, "I'm just. frustrated,"

"Darling, you are dealing with something horrible, and if you need to yell and scream to cope, then that's okay, just remember I'm not going anywhere." She kissed him.

"Let's go upstairs," He suggested raising his eye brow through the bandages.

"Nice try," She laughed, "Come on, you need a shower and to eat a decent meal," She climbed off his lap and took his arm, leading him back into the house, Max had come back and looked worried but relaxed when he saw that Mrs. H was in control.

Upstairs, she drew him a bath in the large tub he'd insisted they buy, she would have been happy with a smaller tub but he convinced her that they could have fun in a larger tub, except she would repeatedly tell him to "Move his foot" because his legs were longer than the tub and would often hit the side of her legs.

He felt like a little kid when she had to undress him and help him into the tub but when she saw the bruises on his body and was cautious of his broken arm.

She wanted to cry, his beautiful body was maimed, and she wondered how long before he'd be healed, his stitches had come out previously but there were still bruises all over his face.

Because he'd only been in the hospital for a few days, he hadn't lost much weight but compared to her small 105lbs, he was heavy and when Jonathan leaned on her, she nearly tipped over, for a moment she considered calling Max, but knew that Jonathan would be humiliated.

She lowered him into the tub and washed him, he was so quiet, she wondered what he was thinking when she went to wash his chest, he grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the tub, fully clothed, "Jonathan!"

"I'm a bad little boy," He laughed as she struggled to get out of the tub, her favorite angora sweater ruined and her hair, that she'd had styled perfectly was ruined but as long as he was being his usually playful self, she didn't care.

After finishing getting him cleaned and dried off, she helped into dry pajamas and put him into bed, she could see their time in the garden and his bath had taken a lot out of him.

"I'm not tired," He protested weakly as she wrestled him into bed

"I know but for now, just a little nap," like she was his mother and he needed to be convinced.

He was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

She kissed his head before going into the closet and changing her clothes.

Downstairs, Max was fixing a tray for Jonathan.

"Oh Max, that's wonderful, but he's asleep," Jennifer swept through the kitchen, desperate for anything strong, she went to the table and put her head down on it, Max silently moved around the kitchen table and poured her a shot, but not before Freeway barked for a treat, Max bent down and whispered in Freeway's ear, "Go see your Mom, she needs some hugs"

Freeway jumped on the side of her chair and she picked him up, burying her face in his fur, she began to cry, "What are we going to do, Max? there's a million decisions that have to be made and I'm not sure where to start,"

Max sat down across from here, "We'll start with the small decisions and work our way up, what's first?"

"The Insurance company, I guess, and we'll have to replace the car, I guess then we'll have to figure out about Hart Industries, maybe Marcus can take over for a while," She said wiping her face.

Max sat back and stared for a minute, "Why don't you take over? You know more about Hart Industries than anyone," He suggested raising his eye brow.

"I'm not sure," She hadn't really thought about that, could she leave a successful writing career that essentially put her into the same field as T.S. Eliot, Virginia Woolf and thanks to her marriage, a racy Jacqueline Susann, she could never imagine herself as a Corporate CEO, having to make decisions that could affect other people's livelihoods, she'd always been in awe of how Jonathan was able to make unbiased decisions and always seemed to be the right one.

Jonathan had the golden touch and she never wanted to ruin that.

Max studied her face, "But you know, it's not definite, I'm sure one of Mr. H's execs could do just as good as job,"

"Maybe," She was thinking, Maybe Max was right, Jonathan could help her run the company, she could be his eyes.

She put Freeway down and crossed the table, kissing Max's head, she said, "You are one in a million, Max,"

Max let out a giggle and went back to his tray, he knew that Mr. H would be starving when he woke up.

Jennifer swept through the kitchen and into the living room, it would be hours before Jonathan was awake and she was feeling restless, she supposed she could curl up with a good book, but she couldn't turn her mind off.

She wondered through the living room, filled with antiques from all over the world and she wondered over to the piano to where her favorite pictures were.

Jennifer picked up a picture and sat down on the window seat by the piano, it was taken moments after they'd become engaged and after she had threatened to never speak to him again.

She had to laugh at the fact, he was willing to get her arrested in order to prevent her from leaving for New York and when he asked her to get out of the limo, she refused, he'd practically had to pull her out and when Jennifer began to chew him out, with all the patience of the saint, he smiled and said, "Turn around,"

She refused and he practically had to spin her around, suddenly across the Tower Bridge and when the sign dropped, she was so surprised, she couldn't find her tongue.

"I can't marry you! We barely know each other!" She protested weakly.

"We have the rest of our lives to get to know each other," He sounded so confident, she couldn't help but trust him.

"What'll I tell my father," That was her last-ditch protest.

"Tell him somebody loves you and you are getting married," He pulled her forward and kissed her, just then a flash went off and Max giggled, capturing that moment forever.

She sighed, kissed the photo and put it back on the piano, wondering if they would ever be those people again.

She decided that she would go upstairs and try to rest, her body was exhausted, but she knew that if she laid down beside her husband, she'd want to curl up and cry.

Instead, she went back into the library and put on music, laying back in Jonathan's favorite chair, she relaxed and leaned back, closing her eyes, she fell asleep.

It was during a deep dream that she and Jonathan were making love at the cabin, because their house was set in the middle of nowhere, they were able to make love in the hammock without worrying about being seen by the neighbors and she was working her way into screaming at the top of her lungs when suddenly, the skies darkened and a clap of thunder frightened her, she clutched Jonathan harder but when the thunder struck again and the house shook, she woke up from her nap.

Realizing she was alone in the library, she sighed and got up, going into their bedroom closet, Jennifer changed into her pajamas and when she came out of the closet, she saw Jonathan was still asleep and kissed him on the forehead.

Jennifer decided she wanted some milk and cookies before she went to sleep but the thunder outside rang louder and louder.

Just as she was deciding to go back into the library, she heard a crash from downstairs, "Max?" She called.

But He wouldn't be able to hear her from his room, so she decided to find out what that noise was, maybe Freeway knocked something over but just as she was stepping down the stairs, lightening hit the house and shook it again except this time she mis-stepped and fell down the stairs.

Her scream brought Jonathan out of their bedroom but without his eyes, he couldn't tell where it had come from, "Jennifer?!" He called.

Max heard the scream and rushed out to the living room where Jennifer was at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mrs. H!" He yelled.


	3. Chapter 3

Jonathan's head was pounding and the bandages on his eyes were too tight but after Max yelled that his Jennifer was at the bottom of the stairs, he felt his way down the banister until he reached the bottom and using his foot was able to determine where Jennifer had landed.

"Darling?" He called her, softly but when she didn't answer, he tried yelling harder, "Darling?"

Nothing.

"Max, call 911," He ordered Max, who was frozen in fear.

"Sure thing, Mr. H," Max hurried to the phone and dialed 911, quickly explaining that his boss's wife had hurt herself and that needed help immediately.

Jonathan bent down and using his hands to grope in his darkness, he found her head and cradle it in his lap, brushing back her hair, he whispered that she was going to be okay and that help was on the way.

 _Inside Jennifer's mind, she was years younger coming down a long staircase in a short dress with her hair, much different than the style she wore as a 35-year-old, her hair was lighter and straighter, almost blonde and she was about to drink champagne with a familiar man._

" _Jonathan," She asked quietly, "Where are we?"_

 _Jonathan in front of her was different than the man she married, he wore his hair longer and his clothes weren't the typical khaki and cardigans, he wore a leisure suit which in all the years she'd known him, he would never wear as it ruined his image of a polished James Bond._

" _Jonathan?" He looked confused as he raised his glass of Champagne to drink, "My name is Alexander Mundy, Mona, how much champagne have you had?"_

" _Mona?" She looked around and everything seemed hazy, "Where are we?"_

" _We're in fortune City," He looked at her curiously "Are you okay?"_

 _She was confused, but she wanted to stay here, with this man she felt comfortable with and she briefly wondered if she was relieving a past life but in that moment, she didn't care, she sipped her champagne and when this Alexander offered his hand to dance, she gleefully took his hand._

 _For a moment, she felt like Cinderella until fear gripped her abdomen and she bent over in pain,_

" _Are you okay?" Alexander asked concerned._

 _For a moment, she could breathe, "Darling?" a voice that sounded like Alexander's but fading away into Jonathan's deep voice, that voice that drove her crazy when he growled in her ear while they made love and it was that voice that brought her back to consciousness._

"Darling," He called again as the ambulances roared through the gates, past the pond and up to the carport, her eyes fluttering opening, Jonathan was becoming more worried, she wasn't waking up and from what he could feel from her face, she wasn't bleeding.

She finally regained consciousness and was able to sit against the step when the EMT workers came to the door and Max let them in.

"I'm fine really" She was insistent despite the pain in her stomach, Jonathan sitting on the steps, his hand on her shoulder while the EMT's examined her. It must have looked like a frightening sight, the invisible man and the red head.

"Ma'am, we should really take you to be examined," The EMT said, he had kind eyes and was gentle with her.

"My husband can examine me just fine," She said weakly, the pain growing

"And as much as I want to, you need someone who can actually see," Jonathan pointed out.

Jennifer admitted to herself, he was right and allow the EMTs to put her into the ambulance, Max offered to drive Jonathan to the hospital, but Jennifer insisted that they both stay home, she would only be gone for a short time and she knew that because he was unable to see, his worrying would be even more.

But she was frightened, more frightened than she'd ever been and she was alone.

The few times that Jonathan had been brought to the hospital after an incident, when they find themselves in some sort of trouble, she was adamant he would never be alone, but she couldn't say the same for herself, she never wanted Jonathan to see her as a victim, that she wasn't strong and capable, or that she was fearful.

But the truth was, she was frightened all the time, especially when she knew their lives were in danger but because Jonathan was so confident that that things would work out in the end, that she pushed down her fear.

Jennifer was brought into the Emergency Room; the same Emergency Room Jonathan had been in just days before and she could feel the anxiety building in her chest. She didn't want to be there, she wanted to be back at Willow Pond, lying next to Jonathan and reading together, even when they were quiet together, she never wanted to move.

"Mrs. Hart," a voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I'm Dr. Sam Kendall," a tall man with blonde hair and piercing green eyes, if Jennifer hadn't been helplessly and passionately devoted to her husband, she might have flirted with him.

"Hello," Jennifer said quietly, this wasn't her normal doctor and years of being manipulated by friends and insane co-workers had trained her to be suspicious.

"Can you tell me what happened?" Dr. Kendall said pulling a chair beside her bed and pulling out a notepad to take notes, this wasn't like past emergency visits where she was rushed into a bed and treated and then goes home.

"I missed a step down my stairs, and I hit my head but I'm fine, really" She started to sit up, but the pain shot through her stomach again. "Ow," She said under her breath.

"Can I do a quick exam to rule out any possible damage?' He asked noticing that she was in much more pain than she was letting on.

"I guess so," She felt nervous and inside her head, she was begging for him to leave her alone.

He gave her a quick exam and quietly lowered his voice, "You are married?"

"Yes, for over 10 years,"

"You and your husband are sexually active? Do you use protection?" He probed

She wasn't ashamed of their active sex life, but she didn't want to broadcast what the world seemed to know already. "Yes, we are sexually active but no, we don't use protection because we trust each other completely," No one would ever question their loyalty and fidelity to each other, and she would be adamant about that.

"Is it possible you could have been pregnant," He heard the tone of her voice and knew he was crossing a bit of a line with her, asking about her relationship but he suspected the cause of her pain and he wanted to confirm his suspicion before making a definitive diagnosis.

His question took away Jennifer's breath away and she wondered, could she have been? Her mind flashed back to the day of the accident where they'd made love and or was it in the shower? On the closet floor? Or was it in the limo ride on the way to the dinner party for one of Jonathan's clients?

They'd never had to use protection or birth control because they were married and she always heard, "I just looked at my husband and wound up pregnant," but it had never happened for them and she was a bit relieved because she didn't feel she was Mom material, when the little boy, who claimed to be Jonathan's son, showed up on their doorstep at 2am, she didn't feel maternal so much as annoyed that this tiny person was unintentionally disrupting their lives.

But that had been over five years ago, maybe her feelings had changed since then.

"I'm not really sure," she whispered, fear gripping her chest.

"We'll run some tests and determine the cause of your pain," The pain behind Dr. Kendall's eyes told her what she needed to know.

She'd lost a baby that she didn't even know she wanted.

"Dr. Kendall," She said tears beginning to form out of her eyes, "If I have lost my baby, please don't tell my husband, he's been through so much lately and I don't want to him to be more upset than he is. Please,"

Dr. Kendall nodded as just as a familiar voice called her name.

Jonathan with Max.

"Jennifer?" He said being guided by Max, "Are you here?"

She cleared her throat and called back, "Darling, I'm here,"

Together, they walked into her room, where Jonathan, even underneath his bandages was worried and looked frightened, "Are you okay?"

She forced herself to smile and changed her voice, "I'm fine, just a bump on the head,"

Jonathan could tell she was upset, she always tried to downplay when she was more seriously injured because she was afraid of worrying him, but he knew her tells, years of playing poker with her told him that she was hiding something. He turned into which direction he assumed that the Doctor was in, "Are you the Doctor,"

Dr. Kendall, understanding what Jennifer meant, moved quickly around the bed and faced Jonathan. "Yes,"

"What's the matter with my wife?" He asked, reaching for Jennifer's hand, who was pleading with her face to the doctor not to worry him.

Taking a pause before answering, "We'd like to check Mrs. Hart over for a head injury and other injuries, but we won't know for a while, we'd like to move her upstairs at least for the night and then we can determine the course of treatment,"

Jonathan wrinkled his face, but he nodded in agreement, "Okay"

Jennifer mouthed, "Thank you," to the Doctor.

Hours Later

Jennifer was exhausted, she'd been poked and prodded and just wanted to go home, Poor Jonathan was exhausted and confused, no one was telling him anything because Dr. Kendall had sworn the staff to keep any updated information quiet until He spoke to Jennifer himself.

But the results were in and Dr. Kendall needed to speak with his patient.

Jonathan had gotten into bed with Jennifer and they were resting together when he knocked on the door, "Mrs. Hart," and stepped into her room.

"Darling, why don't you and Max go to the cafeteria, I'm very thirsty" Jennifer didn't want to push him out but from the look on Dr. Kendall's face, it wasn't very good news.

"But Darling," Jonathan protested, even without his eyes, he could tell whatever the Doctor had to tell them, wasn't good and he wanted to be there for her.

"Please," She practically begged, as Jonathan slowly climbed off the bed.

"If you are sure," He kissed her head and then taking Max's arm left the room but after closing the door partial, he stopped and put his ear to the door.

Dr. Kendall cleared his throat and sat on the edge of Jennifer bed, while she sat up and bit her lip.

"We've got your results in, Mrs. Hart" He said before clearing his throat, "You've sustained a minor concussion and …"

Jennifer didn't need to hear the result, she'd lost her baby without ever realizing it and she curled to her side and began to cry.

"I'm very sorry," Dr. Kendall got up and left the room, passing by Jonathan, who was slumped against the door. Max, looking as equally devastated.

After a few minutes, Jonathan, holding onto Max said quietly, "If Jennifer doesn't want us to know, then we'll pretend we don't,"

Max swallowed, "Are you sure,"

Jonathan nodded.

After Jennifer had stopped crying and both Jonathan and Max had rejoined her. It was written all over their faces that they knew but instead of making it an issue, they each pretended like nothing had been told or said.

"If you up to it, we could go to dinner when you are released," Jonathan offered, he didn't know what to say to the one person he'd never had trouble speaking to before, but his heart was breaking for her and he couldn't even hold her.

"Sounds lovely," She mumbled.

WILLOW POND

The Doctors had decided that Jennifer needed one night in the hospital, to make sure that the concussion she sustained wasn't going to get much worse and to clear up any infection from the miscarriage, although she'd hadn't told Jonathan the last part and both he and Max returned home in silence.

Jonathan was sitting in the garden with Freeway, worrying about Jennifer and grieving over what could have been, while Max was trying to keep himself busy in the kitchen, when he became nervous, he baked and because he was practically on the edge of anxiety, he decided to create some of Mrs. H's favorite goodies.

He was just mixing her favorite red devil's food cake when the phone rang, "Augh," He growled in frustration, he hated to be interrupted when he was baking, it threw off his concentration.

"Hart residence," He barked into the phone.

"Max,' a voice on the other end was crying and for a moment, he thought it was Mrs. H but she wouldn't call so soon after they got home from the hospital, in fact, the doctor had prescribed a sedative and she'd been out cold when they left. "Max, it's Rita, I need you,"

Rita was Max's off and on girlfriend, who worked at the Callahan estate down the street, she was a maid as well but her employers were out of the country, leaving their youngest daughter, Riley in the care of Rita. "I need you to take Riley, something's happened to the Cavanaughs and I need to fly to Paris immediately!"

"Rita," He wanted to help her but with Mrs. H's miscarriage and Mr. H's blindness, now wasn't ' the greatest time.

"Please, Max," She was practically begging, the plane they had been charting crashed somewhere outside of Paris and they weren't sure who survived. "I would never leave Riley without anyone but you, she trusts you, please"

Max sighed, "Okay, I'll watch her," He put the phone and went upstairs to clean up the guest room, Riley was about six now and she wouldn't need much, Rita would make sure that she had everything she would need, but Max was worried, they never had to babysit a child, especially for a long period of time.

Jonathan came back inside and called for Max, "Max, I think I want to go back to see Jennifer,"

"I'm sorry, Mr. H but Rita called and asked us to look after Riley," Max came down from the guest room.

"Now's not really a good time for us," Jonathan protested.

"The Cavanaughs were in a plane crash and she has to fly to Paris, "Max explained as he walked further downstairs and guided Jonathan to the couch.

Jonathan instantly felt bad and nodded, "Then I guess we're going to be having a house guest for awhile,"

Max nodded.

Just then the doorbell rang, "Our Guests," Jonathan said feeling his way to the door, "Hello!"

Rita was taken back a bit at the sight of Jonathan's face wrapped in bandages and exchanged a nervous glance with Max, "Hi Mr. Hart," She made sure to keep her tone light as no to to raise alarm with both Riley and Mr. Hart, "Riley, you remember Mr. Hart?" she bent down to Riley's level.

Riley was like any other tomboy, she wore overalls with her long brown hair braided underneath a Dodgers cap and wore tennis shoes on her sneakers. Sometimes Ms. Rita would often bring her over to the Hart house to play with Freeway and she liked wondering by the pool.

"Ello Mr. Hart," Riley's raspy voice said quietly.

Handing Max her bag, Rita continued, "I need you to be a good girl for Max and the Harts, okay on your best behavior, especially with Mr. Hart having a really bad owie, okay?" Riley nodded, she knew that if she screwed up, it would upset the Harts and Max and then Ms. Rita would get her in trouble.

Rita had been with the Cavanaughs since before Riley had been born, when their oldest child, Milo had been born and then when their middle daughter, Eliza was born, Mr. and Mrs. Cavaugh were traveling professors and often had to leave their children behind for weeks at a time but this time because it was a break for the other children, they took them along and left Riley with Rita. When the call came in that they'd been in a crash, Rita was grateful for their last-minute decision to leave her at home.

"Now give me a hug and I have to go," Rita kissed her face and Riley hugged her, then stood up and kissed Max, "I owe you, thank you!" before turning on her heels and rushing back to her car.

While Riley shuffled her feet in the doorway, both Jonathan and Max were helpless, both of them wishing Jennifer was there, she might at least have a clue at how to at least speak to a child. Riley, sensing their uncomfortable silence around her, broke the silence, "Can I have a snack?"

"Sure!" If Max knew anything, it was how to keep a little one fed, he took her hand and brought her into the kitchen.

While Max was in the kitchen with Riley, Jonathan felt his way into his office and dialed a cab company, he needed to be with Jennifer and even though he couldn't physically see her, he needed to be there to at least comfort her.

HOSPITAL

As soon Jonathan and Max had left, she re-curled back up into her ball and began to cry again, she cried for everything, she cried for Jonathan's eyes, she cried for her lost baby and she cried for herself, she allowed herself to finally grieve for everything, she heard the door open but because her back was facing the door, she didn't bother to turn around.

Because even before he could announce his presence, she could sense it was him and when he climbed into bed with her and held her, there was nothing that he could say that would make her feel better.

"Her name would have been Lucy," She said.


	4. Chapter 4

After Jennifer had been released from the Hospital and Max had brought both of them home with Riley, Jennifer had spent most of the day in their bedroom while Jonathan tried to work in his office and keep himself from thinking about everything, but he couldn't, and he would find himself walking into the Garden where Max would be playing with Riley and Freeway.

Nothing could coax Jennifer down to dinner with them, Max and Riley brought her a tray,

But it sat on the table next her bed and they left her alone, only Freeway seem to be a comfort to her.

Jonathan was at a loss, but he knew she couldn't be pushed, she needed to work things out in her way, in her own time.

After a day of chasing Riley around, Max was exhausted and while putting Riley to bed, she climbed into the big bed and spread out, "Uncle Maxie, tell me a story," she curled up.

Max didn't know any children's stories, but he told Riley a story that was familiar to him and close to his heart. "There was once a lonely Prince, who ruled an empire with his friend, but they were lonely, despite having everything they could ever want and then unexpectedly, a Princess came to visit the Prince at his Palace but unfortunately, the Prince was too stubborn to realize that the Princess wasn't like the other maidens in the kingdom and it took the Prince's best friend kicking the Prince's behind for him to realize that the Princess was his soulmate and together, they could create a successful Kingdom together, there was a few hiccups now and again, and the Prince's Best Friend could use a Princess of his own but their love story was one that was sure to be told through the years,"

Riley wasn't sure what to make of the story but she was tired and closed her eyes, Max pulled up her blanket and kissed her on the head, leaving the guest room , he didn't notice Jennifer standing outside the door, she'd heard Max's story and for a moment, she felt better about everything.

And nearly screamed when a hand reached over her shoulder.

"Sorry! It's just me!" Jonathan whispered, he could feel underneath his arm, her body jump a mile, "Are you okay,"

Although he couldn't see her nod her head, he knew that she was shaking her head except he knew she wasn't.

Taking her hand, He took her back through the bedroom into the library next to the fireplace, it was their secret place to escape the craziness, it was their own private sanctuary, opening the panel to reveal their secret room, even without his vision, he knew exactly where he was headed.

She remembered when Jonathan convinced her it would be a good idea,

 _It was after the break-in, when Robbers were trying to take the house and they discovered the "Green room," after they were locked and had to be recovered by Max through the well, Jonathan had the green room redesigned, taking off the large lock and door, soundproofing the walls and putting in carpeting with a bed, a fireplace and a couch, Even Max didn't know about this room and Jonathan wanted it kept that way, the rest of the House was Max's to protect but this was their private area, he even installed an elevator so that they could get there quicker._

Finally getting downstairs, she sat on the couch next to him and was nervous, this man was her husband, her everything, and she couldn't speak without tears forming behind her eyes, facing her, Jonathan took her face in his hands and asked her quietly, "Are you okay?"

"It's just Max's story, I've never seen him connect with children like that before, and it kind of broke my heart," she looked down, he picked her face up and kissed her, she needed this, they both did.

It didn't matter that she was recovering from losing their baby or that he was possibly blind, they made love as if it were the last time, frantically and passionately.

It was after they made love, laying In front of the fireplace when Jonathan suddenly developed a sharp pain in his head and startling Jennifer, he yelled, "Help me!"

She froze while he cried out in pain, "How can I help you?"

"Get these bandages off, please," He begged, the pain in his face felt like it was on fire and that the bandages were too tight, she sat him in front of the fire place and quickly unwrapped his face.

For a moment, in the darkness, he couldn't see but his eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness and he could make out faint shapes but the most important thing his eyes could make out was her face, her tear-stained face and he smiled, she bit her lip, "Can you see?"

Instead of answering her, he leaned forward and kissed her face, she sobbed in relief and in between kisses, she exhaled, "I was so scared,"

"I was too," He didn't tell her how scared he was, that he might never see her face again and that the idea of never seeing her face again broke his heart but now that he'd gained at least some of his vision, he could see her face, especially when he knew that she was in her pain herself.

But Jennifer was frightened, he may have gotten his vision back but what if it was temporary? She couldn't handle the possibly that this could be temporary and that her heart would break further.

She needed time to process everything and he needed to get to the doctors. He leaned her back on the floor but she was hesitant, as much as she wanted to make love to and her body was screaming for it, he kissed her on her neck, the spot that made her melt and made her want him to beg him to keep going but she knew that he wasn't ready for a lengthy session of love-making.

Jennifer pulled back a little, startling Jonathan and when she pushed his hair back, and said quietly, "Let's not rush this, we have the rest of our lives," but she saw the hurt across his face, he pulled back from her and started to get dressed.

"Why are you angry with me?" Jennifer said quietly, "We've always been able to talk," He stopped struggling to put his clothes on and sat down beside her, taking her hand, he kissed it and leaned forward.

"I guess it's just because I naturally assumed if I got my vision back, we'd be back to normal," but he saw her face and knew that wasn't what she thought was going to happen.

"Normal?" She was incredulous, "There's nothing normal about our lives, we promised our lives would be an adventure and for the most part it has been but this, you losing your vision and me losing the baby, we're never going to be normal again,"

He smiled and revealed that dimple that made everyone fall in love with, "Then we'll create a new normal," He held out his other hand for her to shake, "Deal?"

"Deal," she leaned forward and kissed him, "Do you think we could go to the cabin this weekend?"

"I think it's a good idea but what about Max and Riley? I don't think Max can take care of her by himself and we've never taken care of a child for more than a weekend," Jonathan pointed, as much as he wanted to be alone with her, it wasn't fair to Max , he wasn't a kid person, as kind and as wonderful as he was, he wasn't used to being around kids and he was pretty sure if he spent 48 hours alone with her, he'd probably lose his mind.

She laid back on her side, "I think you are right and we're not sure when or even if, Rita will be back soon to take care of her,"

Jonathan took her hand and sat back, for a few minutes, he stared at her until she began to feel self -conscious, "What are you thinking?"

"What if we take Riley," He said finally.

She was pretty sure she could hear a pin drop, "What?"


	5. Chapter 5

After Jonathan dropped the bombshell about adopting Riley, Jennifer had sat back in, what she wasn't sure if it was fear or horror, could she take on a six-year-old? Especially so soon after losing her own baby and when he pressed her for an answer, she said quietly that she had to think about it.

But the more she thought about it, the less the she wanted to do it. Could she be a mother to a child that wasn't hers, she understood adoption and surrogacy, but she didn't feel a connection to Riley, even when she was playing with Jonathan and was beating him badly, she felt amused, but she didn't feel as close to Riley as Jonathan was. Maybe it was simply one of those bonds that could develop over time.

But she had to ask herself, did she want to develop and create a bond with Riley, especially knowing that she could be going back to her own house soon?

After Jonathan's appointment at the Doctors, in which many diagnostic tests were performed and they confirmed that Jonathan's vision was coming back slowly, she felt a sense of relief but also a new worry that his vision could be lost again.

Jonathan, sensing she was lost in her thoughts and wanting to reassure her, decided to take her to a place that she loved, it was their secret spot overlooking the beach, but she had a better idea, she wanted to revisit a piece of her past.

Lately, she'd been having trouble remembering her mother, it had been so long since she'd even been to visit her Father but after she'd gotten married and moved from New York to California, her father had shipped boxes of her mother's belongings in the hopes that there was something to pass on to any future grandchildren or that she would want to incorporate her mother into decorating the house since it was so large.

But Jennifer had decided that she wanted to decorate the house more elegantly and modestly because Jonathan was so important and Socialization was key in their circle, so she wanted the house with to keep up with the rest of her neighborhood, an air of Sophistication and Grace with minimalistic décor. When the boxes around, she'd been in Paris interviewing a painter and told Max to put the boxes in storage and she would get to it later. Except later never came and as their lives got busier, with Jonathan's business growing rapidly and her own career on the rise, the boxes simply went out of her mind.

But now

Jennifer drove them to their storage garage, years of their relationship were stored there, and She'd never had a real reason until now, to come here.

Jennifer stood there while Jonathan took her hand and they walked inside, "Oh my god, how did we acquire this much stuff?" "I think it was somewhere around the Mid-80s," He laughed while she started to dig through boxes. "Why do we keep this junk," She asked digging through a box labeled, "J.E. HIGH SCHOOL," She dug through yearbooks and old trophies. She pulled out her old pomp pomp, remembering how briefly she was a cheerleader until she realized that she wasn't the rah-rah type, that she was more the Journalistic type, especially after she found out some of the girls were planning on dumping pigs Blood on a girl at a dance, she remembered a similar scene in "Carrie," and wondered if he taken that story from someone at her own school's experience. "These aren't junk, these are our memories and my favorite memory is right here," Jonathan pulled a large sheet off to reveal a mint condition 1950 Convertible. Jennifer turned and gasped, she'd never seen a car like that before, well maybe in the Graduate, but it was in perfect condition, "How long have you had that?!"

He smiled even broader, "Max bought this baby for me when I started College," He pushed open the door and held his hand out, "Madame," She laughed and took his hand, "Sir," climbing into the car, she could see a vintage radio and leaned against the soft leather interior, it was a slip back to the 1970s and she could picture Jonathan riding around campus. He slid in the seat beside her and put his arm around her, Jennifer put her head on his shoulder, and she felt happier and lighter than she had in days. "Tell me, was this car a total chick magnet," she laughed as he played with the steering wheel. "I had my moments, we would go to the top of the Hollywood Hills to the drive-in and because I had no money, we would park just outside of the theater where you could see for miles. " She laughed and encouraged him, "Well, with no sound it was like a throwback to silent pictures and we would snuggle and kiss," Jennifer laughed and kissed him, "Like this," he kissed her back and from her reaction, she wanted more. Leaning over her, he lowered her seat back and climbed on top of her, "You know, we have a bed at home, we don't have to in the car," She said in between kisses and when his hands stopped fumbling for her pants, "Do you want to stop,"

"No," she pulled off her sweater, in this moment she didn't care she was in a car or that it was, she just wanted to make love to her husband without distractions.

It was a bit awkward because Jonathan was a big guy but some-how they made it work and at one point, they moved into the backseat and were furiously making love when the phone in Jonathan's pants pocket began to ring. "Let it go to voicemail," Jennifer panted but Jonathan stopped "it could be important," He hated to stop just as much as she did, but he was still in charge of the company, despite his temporary blindness.

Jennifer sighed in frustration while Jonathan retrieved her phone, "Max, this better be important," whatever Max was telling him was obviously concerning because he sat back and listened intently, "We'll be right there,"

Jennifer began to gather up her Clothes, "What's happened," "There's a fire at the house," He said grabbing his own clothes, "Max was practically screaming" "Oh my god! Riley!" Jennifer's heart dropped, pulling on her sweater and struggling to get into her pants. Jonathan followed her lead and getting dressed, he kissed her quickly and jumped into the front seat, although he wasn't cleared to drive, his fear for Max and Riley were overtaking.

Driving down the familiar road to Willow Pond, Jennifer could feel the tightness in her chest growing until they go to the wide -open gate and saw that the road leading to the main part of the house was covered by Firefighters and Police as well as Emergency Medical Personal.

Jonathan parked the car, and got out, Jennifer followed but was slow, this was her worst nightmare. Except nothing could have prepared for them what they were about to walk up on, their beautiful Spanish style multilayer house in flames, the side of the house that once held their bedroom was now entirely engulfed in flames, the precious objects that they'd lovingly bought were now gone. "Oh my god," Jonathan exhaled and looked around, "Max!" He called but, in the chaos, he couldn't be heard. Jennifer barely heard him, she was looking at the ruins of their home, the fire was claiming the living room that they had once held many parties and how many times had Jonathan danced her around the living room? The Kitchen where Max would cook and where she'd blown up the stove? The only thing spared from the fire was Max's Jennifer Hart roses and only because he'd set them far enough to keep from being trampled.

She remember when Jonathan first brought her here, Just before they were married, they'd been to dozens of estates and none of them seemed to be right, some were too large for three adults, others seemed so cramped and when he brought her to this house, she'd been frustrated at their search but it seemed like this house was waiting for them.

 _The first night they spent on the floor in sleeping bag, the house was completely empty because they hadn't technically moved in, this was a special arrangement Jonathan had arranged with the realtor, "to test out the house," Jennifer received a note at their hotel instructing her to get in a car and to put on a blind fold, she knew it was from Jonathan because it had his JCH logo on the letter head but she was still curious. When she got downstairs to her hotel, there was a big car waiting for and inside was a bottle of her favorite champagne with long stem red roses, she poured herself a glass and watched as Los Angeles sped by, excited at what Jonathan could have in mind._

 _The driver pulled up to the house and turned to her, "Ma'am, Mr. Hart has instructed me to tell you to put the blindfold on,"_

 _She had to laugh, he was all about the element of surprise and that was something she loved about him. she put the blindfold on and heard the car door open, she could practically hear his grin and when he took her hand, his normal dry hand was sweaty._

" _Jonathan, what are we doing here?" She asked as he guided her from the car to the porch, "The construction workers are supposed to be starting today," Jennifer reminded him._

" _No I've given them the day off," he opened the door to the house and pulled her through, she stumbled a bit and he caught her before she lost her balance, he pulled her further into the living room, she felt the wooden floor under feet and when he finally stopped walking, she knew that she was in the center of the room, because of the echo._

" _okay, now you can take the blind fold off," his voice was filled with excitement and when she pulled off the blindfold, she felt her heart soar._

 _On the floor was a blanket, spread out with long stem roses with two champagne glasses, along with a roaring fire despite it was nearly 90 degrees outside. "This is wonderful!" She put her hands to her face._

 _There would be many picnics by the fireplace, romantic encounters on the first floor of 3100 Willow Pond Road but now, there was nothing but charred remains of their once perfect love nest._ Jonathan took her hand as they walked around the property that wasn't covered by caution tape, searching for any signs of Max or Riley, the fire was spreading quickly and they were told they would have to evacuate soon because it was spreading to the woods near the house, near the tree that Jonathan had carved their names one morning after they'd fallen asleep in the gazebo. Suddenly Jennifer knew where Riley was, while Jonathan was continuing to search frantically for Max, they split up and each took a different side of the House.

Jonathan found Max in a chair by the edge of the house, he looked so sad and lost as if everything he'd ever loved was gone, on his lap sat Freeway.

 _Jonathan remembered when they had found Freeway by the side of the road, it was dark and they were on their way to a dinner party when Jennifer spotted him running across the highway, afraid he was going to be hit, she insisted Jonathan pull over and when he refused because it wasn't safe, she threatened to jump out of the car and he knew she was serious when She was pulling up the lock and had her hand on the door handle._

 _He maneuvered over to the side of the road and the car was barely at a stop when she opened the door and kicking off her heels, ran barefoot across the Freeway to rescue the puppy and nearly was hit by a car, luckily it braked just before she was hit and Jennifer scooped up the puppy, who's little body was caked in dirt and shivered._

 _She didn't care that her dress was becoming dirty or that they would never make it to the party, all Jennifer was concerned about was making sure this little baby was taken care of._

 _Taking him to a local vet's office, they were told he was abandoned and dangerously underweight, that if they chose to keep this puppy, they would have to treat it as if it were a newborn, to which Jonathan was skeptic, they weren't pet people and led too much of an active life to give a pet the proper care it needed._

 _But Jennifer was adamant, this was their baby and they would do whatever it took to take of the puppy, even if it meant she slept on the kitchen floor with a kitchen timer and a water bowl to make sure the puppy was getting enough water._

 _Max wasn't exactly thrilled but if had made Jennifer happy, then he was okay with it._ "Max," Jonathan put his hand on Max's shoulder, "Are you okay?" he kneeled down to Max's level.

"We was walking Freeway when Riley noticed the smoke coming out of the windows, if she hadn't insisted on us walking Freeway," In all the years Max had taken care of all three of them and their revolving door of guests, Jonathan had never seen Max so look sad.

"As long as you, Freeway and Riley are okay, that's all that matters," but Jonathan could see that nothing could reassure Max, "Come on, we need to look for Riley," Max still looked so devastated.

Jennifer had gone around to the Gazebo and was looking for Riley when suddenly the Flames from the fire sparked and caught one of the trees on fire, Suddenly Jennifer had a decision to make. She could run for her life or she could risk her life continuing to look for Riley.


	6. Chapter 6

_Jennifer's body felt like a surge was racing through, her heart was beating so fast and she couldn't hear a sound but she couldn't understand, the last thing she remember was searching for Riley in the backyard as the flames grew higher from the fire at the House and suddenly there was a flash of bright lights and she heard yelling, she wasn't sure if it was coming from her own voice or someone else. But there was no one else in the backyard except her and Riley, she knew that there was fireman and police running around trying to contain the fire, she remembered running and then suddenly looking down at something by her feet that was shooting off sparks and she realized that the wires that hang across the poles in the yard had fallen and that she was dangerously close to the pool._

 _She remembered looking around wondering if it was safer for her to jump in the pool and avoid electrocution, Jennifer looked around and realized she could hear crying from inside Freeway's old dog, the one they'd put together, but Max was horrified at the thought and would never allow Freeway to sleep outside. "Riley!" She yelled and looked around for help, but the fire was intensifying and there was no one around. She took off the sweater she'd been wearing and using it as a shield over her, Jennifer kicked off her shoes and ran across the yard and as she ran, Jennifer heard Jonathan calling her name, he must have come around the corner, but she could feel her blood pumping in her ears and continued running._

 _Jennifer got to the doghouse and kneeling down, she called inside, "Riley, honey, you have to come out, please," she could hear Riley crying._

" _No!" Riley was stubborn but Jennifer was even more stubborn, she simply reached in and pulled Riley out, this was not the time to negotiate with a child._

 _Jennifer took a deep breath and kneeled eye to eye with Riley, "We need to run and run fast because the fire is spreading is fast, okay?" In the back of her mind, she wondered how fast she could run holding onto Riley's hand or if it would be faster if she simply carried Riley._

 _She chose the latter and picked up Riley, who was surprisingly cooperative, Jennifer started to run when a tree branch broke and suddenly dropped, blocking their way to the main road and nearly crushing them._

" _Oh my god" Jennifer stopped short and looked around, there was no way to get around the branch without either getting electrocuted or burned, "What do I do?" if she was alone, she could have come up with a plan, but time was ticking, and Riley was in danger as well. She looked around and realized that although there were live wires down and surrounding her, that if she jumped over them, she could avoid being hurt or Riley getting hurt._

 _It was a long shot but it was her only option, she took a deep breath and took off running, Jonathan watched with fear in his eyes, he couldn't reach her or even scream her name but she managed to make it over the tree branch and was nearly home free when she didn't see the wire at her feet and it attacked her ankle, she screamed and fell forward, protecting Riley as she landed and her entire body shook from the shocks to her body, she felt hot and then immediately her body went cold._

 _She wondered briefly if this was what death felt like._

"Jennifer?" a voice called for her, but she couldn't open her eyes, it was like the buzzing in her ears and her eyes were sealed shut, she understood what Jonathan must have felt like after his accident, "Jennifer," the voice called again. It sounded familiar but so distant.

The voice called her again, "Jennifer, you can wake up now," Jennifer struggled to open her eyes, but she felt like she was being pushed down, "Slowly, Jennifer, you've suffered a tremendous shock," the voice was soothing and comforting but the voice she longed to hear, where was Jonathan?

The time she sprained her ankle, he stayed home from the Office for a week and insisted they spend it in bed, although her ankle was healed in a few days, he still insisted on playing Doctor.

Jennifer opened one eye at a time to find a pair of brown eyes looking back at her, "Who are you?"

"My name is Dr. Valentine; can you sit up?" He was a very handsome man, with sandy blonde hair that formed into ringlets and he had a freckle all over his face, Jennifer had to admit, he was very handsome, but nothing could ever change her mind about Jonathan.

Jennifer slowly sat up, "Where's my husband, and Max," she looked around and realized that she was alone in this room, where was she? This didn't look like a hospital room or a triage room, it looked like a bedroom.

"Mr. Hart is waiting outside, you've been unconscious for a few hours and we felt that it was in your best interest if Mr. Hart stepped out," the Doctor help sit her up but when he said that Jonathan couldn't help her recover, her brown eyes narrowed and her voice dropped.

"What's in my best interest is to see my husband," She leaned back, "I want to see my husband now, please,"

"Jennifer, you've suffered a tremendous shock, if you will allow me to continue the examination," Dr. Valentine leaned forward, inches from her face.

"My name is Mrs. Jonathan Hart and I will not allow any further examination until I've seen and spoken to my husband," she folded her arms.

Dr. Valentine had to admit, she was stubborn which was a good sign especially considering the shock to her system.

"Alright, we'll get your husband on the condition, you must allow me to examine you," He said before leaving the room.

"Alright," she agreed, anything to see Jonathan, when the Doctor left, she climbed off the hospital bed and went to the full length mirror, she checked her body for bruises or cuts but all she could see was that her face was in desperate need of a scrub and that her leg was burning and itching, she raised her leg and realized that she had a serious burn on her leg wrapped in gauze as well as a pounding headache. "Well, if that's the worst of the damage, I suppose I could wear pants instead of dresses for awhile," she smiled to herself.

The door started to open and she hopped back onto the table, where Jonathan followed the doctor except he didn't look as happy to see her as she was to see him, "Darling?" She wondered if he was angry at her.

She didn't have to wait long for an answer because he refused to look her in the eye but still took her hand, the Doctor began to examine Jennifer, "Well, Ma'am aside from the severe electrical burn and concussion, you seem to be in top shape, although we'd like to keep you here overnight just as a precaution,"

"No, I think I'd rather recover at home," She was wounded by Jonathan's coldness, but when he spoke up, "Maybe it's better if you do stay here tonight, just because you inhaled a lot of smoke from the fire," She'd never been hurt so much by him before.

"If you think so," she rubbed her hand over her eyes to cover the tears, why was Jonathan so angry with her, that he was willing to leave her alone in the hospital, but he whispered in her ear, "It's a good thing they make those hospital beds extra-large," to show he wasn't as angry with her as she thought.

"Mrs. Hart, we'll take you upstairs in just a few minutes and then I'll come back to check on you," Dr. Valentine said, eager to see her face again but without her husband. She was someone he needed to be around and he couldn't help but think to himself, that she was much too beautiful to be with a man like Jonathan Hart.

Inside the Hospital Room, Jennifer was nervous, "Maybe we can just go to the hotel and I'll be fine,"

He took her face, "Just for tonight, you inhaled a lot of smoke and besides with Riley, Max and Freeway, it's going to be a crowded room," he kissed her slowly

"Riley!, How is Riley!" She'd almost forgotten about Riley, how she be so cruel to forget about her?

"She's alright, a few cuts and bruises," Jonathan didn't want to tell her just yet, that when they fell, Riley's arm was broken, it wouldn't be fair to make her feel guiltier than she already did because she was trying to help Riley out and wound up with an injury herself.

"I'm glad," Jennifer was relieved, if Riley had a serious injury, she would insist on checking herself out and making sure that Riley was okay, and Max as well. It was strange, before the fire she was detached from Riley, afraid to get close to her but now, after facing the fire together, she felt a maternal bond toward Riley and wondered if it was because she'd recently lost a baby she didn't even know she was carrying.

"Mrs. Hart," a voice interrupted them, "We're going to take you upstairs now," it was a nurse with the name tag Jules.

"Okay," She nodded, her stomach filling with butterflies, in nearly a dozen years of marriage, they'd only spent two weeks apart and that was because she'd been in Europe writing a series of articles.

Jules wheeled Jennifer up to her room, and Jonathan held her hand until they reached the door, only letting go to open the door, it was a a large room with a bed and flowered wallpaper, it was pretty but not Jennifer's style and she didn't want to be there.

"This is ..nice," Jonathan's opinion was different, the room was ugly and blinding, if anything the wallpaper seemed to be moving, it made his still recovering eyes hurt and he blinked a few times to fix them.

The nurses and Jonathan helped Jennifer out of her wheelchair but before she could be settled into her bed, she became dizzy and leaned against Jonathan, "Are you okay?" He asked noticing she was pale and that she was shivering. "I'm so cold," she mumbled before passing out in his arms, "Jennifer!" He yelled and lowered her to the ground, her eyes rolling back into her head and a guttural noise coming from her mouth.

 _Jennifer was finishing up getting dressed, she couldn't believe this day had come, for months she'd carefully planned every detail, she fixed her veil and tried to ignore the butterflies in her stomach, she was sure she was making the right decision, after all they loved each other, sure he had his faults and a temper but she knew that over time, he would lose it especially if they started a family, she was hesitant because she wasn't sure she could be a mother but he was insistent, they were going to have a child and hopefully a boy first, to carry on his family name._

" _Darling, are you ready?" Her father stuck his head into the church dressing room, she turned to face him, her face covered by a long veil, she would have preferred a simpler veil or even a simpler dress but her fiancée insisted that she have a full ball gown, he wanted to look like a Princess because this was their royal wedding and every detailed had to be perfect, he even picked her makeup and hairstyle, which she had to admit, he took control of everything and she often felt helpless, she wanted to be in an equal marriage but she supposed that over time he would learn that she valued her independence, it would take time for them to adjust to each other despite the fact that they'd lived together for a year, well, he'd moved into her apartment while she was on assignment but she hadn't had the heart to tell him, they didn't know each other long enough to move in together but he convinced her that it would be better for them if they did because he knew that they were meant to be together._

" _You look just like your mother," her father came through the dressing room and kissed her on the forehead._

" _I wish she were here," Jennifer said quietly._

" _I know you do, but she is, are you ready?" He took hand, noticing the large diamond ring on her finger, knowing she wasn't known for her flashy jewelry but her fiancée, although he seemed very kind, there was a quality that bother Stephen Edwards, that he seemed to be forceful over his daughter but Stephen knew that any objection would turn his daughter against him and he didn't want that, it was often difficult, with their busy schedules for them to visit Stephen as it was._

 _She nodded and took her bouquet, her fiancée, soon to be husband had insisted on picking out her flowers as well, if she really thought about, she really did have little input on her own wedding but now was not the time to dwell on that._

" _Ready," She took her father's hand and together they walked out of the church dressing room, she took a deep breath as the music began to play and as the doors open, people she barely knew and friends from all over the world stood._

 _Stephen and Jennifer walked slowly down the aisle to her groom, who's smile spoke volumes of how happy he looked, her stomach flipped but not in a way that she expected._

 _When her father walked her to the end of the aisle, he kissed her cheek and handed her hand to him._

" _Who presents this woman to be wed?" the Minister asked._

" _I do," Stephen said before sitting down._

" _Elliot Charles Manning, Do you take Jennifer Evelyn to be your wife?"_

" _Yes," Elliot answered proudly._

" _Jennifer, Do you take Elliot to be your Husband?" the Minister turned to Jennifer_

 _Jennifer opened her mouth_

 _But no answer came out._


	7. Chapter 7

Jennifer woke up with a start, she didn't understand where that dream had come from and didn't know what to make of it, could she have really married a man as awful as Elliot Manning? A man she hadn't thought about in nearly a decade, a man she never wanted to see again as long as she lived.

Their relationship was always rocky, he tried to control everything she did and the more he tried to control her, the more she just wanted out, but he would convince her that she was being foolish, that they needed each other, and she would fall for his bull every time.

Until she came home early from an assignment and found him in bed with her research assistant, Elliot didn't even have the nerve to be embarrassed, he simply suggested that Jennifer join them, disgusted, she threw some clothes in a suitcase and took the first plane to London, where she begged her former Professor, who worked at the London times to give her an assignment.

To Interview the Millionaire who was saving Ashland Motors from going under.

Although it cost Brooks his life, Jennifer was indebted to him because if he hadn't sent her on that assignment, she would have never met Jonathan and she never would have started the best chapter of her life.

But she had also kept a secret from her fiancée, she'd told him that she was going back to her father's house to pack up somethings but instead went back to New York, to finish packing up her apartment and to make sure that anything of Elliot's wouldn't be coming back to Los Angeles with her, to her new life.

Except when she arrived at their apartment, she found he'd changed the locks and that she needed the Building Manager to let her in, he did but hesitantly because he was afraid that Elliot would harm him.

She'd almost forgotten how much power Elliot actually had and it frightened her, for a moment she briefly wondered if this was a mistake, if she should have told Jonathan her plan but he was so kind, she didn't want to drag him into a situation where he could get hurt, Elliot was her problem and only hers.

Jennifer didn't plan on staying for long, just long enough to pack up her belongings and get back home to Los Angeles.

To Jonathan.

Except after the Building Manager allowed her into the apartment, she realized that in the days she'd been gone, Elliot had trashed the apartment, the walls had been punched in and her favorite pictures on the walls had been smashed and it look like he drew on the walls with her make up. It resembled a war zone, her coffee table smashed, and the TV was turned over. The mirrors that hung on the wall were smashed as well and the glass littered the floor, she took a deep breath and wondered what he did with her belongings that he didn't destroy.

Jennifer stepped into the bedroom and found her clothes, her very expensive Donna Karan, Gucci and Versace dresses were ripped from their hangers and it looked as if he'd used the closet bar as a battering ram to break even more holes into the walls.

Jennifer sighed, "I guess I won't be getting my security deposit and began to pull her clothes off the floor and found the only picture that managed to survive, one of her and Elliot taken along the Hudson River, she remember it was freezing out and he'd insisted that they not wear jackets because this was going to be their "engagement photo," but it wasn't and she wasn't even the one who put the photo in a frame, it sat on Elliot's side of the bed, which he hadn't trashed.

She threw the picture aside and continued packing up her clothes and looking around, she realized that the only thing he hadn't broken or smashed was her jewelry box, relieved, she opened it and pulled out her most prized possession, the diamond engagement ring that had been her mother's and her father had given it to Elliot in the hopes that he would present it to Jennifer but he didn't like the ring and insisted on a diamond ring that was much too heavy for Jennifer's hand and that was too showy, he often bragged to his friends that her ring was bigger than the one Elizabeth Taylor had.

Jennifer put the ring in her pocket and looked around, aside from her clothes, there was nothing else she really wanted, everything she needed was with Jonathan.

She packed her clothes in the two suitcases in her closet, somehow, they managed to survive the war and was just about to make do another once over when she heard the apartment door open. Nervous, she backed against the wall

Elliot's voice made her jump out of her skin and she wondered if she could climb down the fire escape before she realized, she was on the 32nd floor and it would be impossible to make it down the escape with the suitcases.

"Hello?!" He called, obviously not expecting her, he hadn't seen her in weeks and after the cleaning company was coming later, he admitted to himself that after Jennifer left, he became a drunken mess and didn't care.

Until he met Margaret, a woman who he found he liked better than Jennifer, she was more his style and they didn't argue, she allowed him to be in control and most of the time, they didn't leave her apartment.

She was good for him. Margaret boosted his ego in a way that Jennifer couldn't or refused to.

But when he'd gotten on the elevator, the nosy operator, Frank had said that he thought Jennifer had come to the apartment.

He had to smile to himself, No one could resist Elliot Manning and he knew that she would come crawling back. He would take her back of course but he would make her beg for forgiveness over and over again until she was exhausted. "Jennifer, I know you are here," He said amused, "You can come out now," Jennifer took a deep breath, straightened her shoulders, put her game face on and walked out of the bedroom, "Hello, Elliot," her voice taking on a cold note. "Hello Elliot, what happened to, "Hey Baby," He took notice of her, it had been a few months but there was something about her that made her seem even more beautiful. He couldn't put his finger on it. "Hello, Elliot, what happened to my apartment," She demanded to know, folding her arms. "We can talk about that later, how about a drink?" He went to the drink cart that she kept and poured two glasses. "No, Elliot, no drinks, no small talk, what did you do to my apartment," her fury growing "I redecorated, I didn't think you'd care after you left," he took a sip, "But now that you are back, I. think we can fix things better than they were before,"

She stared at him in wonder, "Are you insane? I'm not going to stay here,"

"Right, we should stay in a hotel until this place is fixed up, sell it and buy a new apartment," he took a drink and faced her, she was so pretty when she was angry.

"I only came here for my belongings and then I'm leaving for the West Coast," She shook her head and turned her back on him. Elliot didn't like the sound of that, how dare she think she can just leave him? He took three giant steps and grabbed her arm, "No you are not,"

"Elliot, I'm warning you, let go of me," She demanded, growing furious. "Come on Baby, you know you missed me," He pulled her face forward with his free hand "Elliot, you are hurting me, Let go," She wondered if he was going to force himself on her, she used her free hand to push him away. The hand with the diamond and that Elliot immediately took notice of, "What's this? I didn't buy you this!" it was rather small for his liking and he didn't want to think the worst, that she'd become someone else's whore. "I'm getting married," Jennifer said quietly, hoping he'd let her go except instead of letting her ago, he slapped her, stunned, she grabbed her face and forced the tears back, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her cry.

Elliot saw her tears and unmoved, He slapped her again except this time, she didn't cry but instead her fury grew and she set her jaw in line, Elliot took a deep breath, "I'm sorry, but you took me by surprise," He ran his hair through his blonde hair, which he kept short in the back but longer in the front.

"Can you get me some ice," She asked holding her face, her eyes scanning the room, Elliot nodded and turned his back on her, while he did that, Jennifer grabbed the Tiffany Lamp she'd bought at an estate sale and smashed it over Elliot's head, crumbling to the ground, she stood over his body, shaking and swallowing hard, "Jonathan Hart is twice the man you will ever be and Don't you ever put your hands on me again !" She dropped the remainder of the lamp on his head and stepped over his body to get her suitcases.

But that was nearly eight years ago and she had to admit, after that day, she never thought about Elliot Manning again and she'd heard through the grapevine he'd married several times and was in hiding after some shady business deals. But she didn't care, she had Jonathan and that was all she would ever need.

When she woke up hours later in the hospital, she couldn't understand why she'd been dreaming about Elliot and she decided, she didn't really care, when she opened her eyes, she was aware of another person in the room but whomever it was, didn't sound familiar to her, Jonathan had a funny way of breathing, when he was in a deep sleep, he would tip his head back and his nose in the air.

It made her laugh because the first night they spent together, they'd both drank so much champagne that he'd passed out and when she placed a rose on the pillow beside him, it almost looked as if he were dead but when she kissed him again, he practically lifted off the pillow but he was so tired, he couldn't even open his eyes.

But this breathing wasn't Jonathan, "Hello?" She called out timidly, "Hello" She Cleared her throat.

But whoever was in the room with her didn't answer and when she struggled to reach for the lamp on her bed, but it wasn't turning on. "Hello?" She called again, feeling nervous.

This time, a familiar voice sent her screaming, "Hello, Jennifer"

Back at the Hotel, After putting both Max and Riley to bed, Jonathan sat in their hotel room, turning on the TV, it was their favorite movie, "the Thin Man," He leaned back and yawning, he fell asleep, wishing he could curl up with his Nora.


	8. Chapter 8

The Next Morning, Before Bringing Riley and Max to the Hospital, Jonathan stopped by the house, he still couldn't believe it had only been a few days since their home was destroyed and barely a week since an accident nearly took his vision, Life with Jennifer was often chaotic but Jonathan felt like he needed a break from reality.

Desperately.

After the fire had destroyed the house, and the excavation crew cleared away the rubble, the only thing that stood left were the Jennifer Hart Roses, by the now cloudy pool, Jonathan stood in the middle of what used to be their living room, and remembered, laughing together and dancing around the living room, the countless parties they had thrown for their friends or even laying in a sleeping bag with a fire burning making love. "Mr. Hart?" a voice interrupted his thoughts, "I'm Anna Bancroft, with A.B.M.B Insurance company and we've done a preliminary investigation into the fire," Jonathan lifted his eyes to find a tall woman with dark brown hair and a slight smile, holding a manila folder, She reminded him of an actress but he couldn't remember, "I'd like to go over our findings, if that's alright with you,"

Jonathan nodded and followed Ms. Bancroft over to a makeshift desk in what used to be their patio, where they would often hold "family picnics, " when Max was on a hot streak at the track or when he would be out on dates, because as Jonathan liked to tease Jennifer, she couldn't cook to save her life. After the third time she blew up the stove, he insisted that on Max's days of, that he cook for the both them because he would go broke renovating the kitchen again and again. He much preferred when they would curl up in bed, with a tray of cookies and pizza, it was simple and easy, which made their lives simple and easy. Something that rarely happened and so when it happened, they held onto it like a life raft.

"Mr. Hart," Again, Ms. Bancroft interrupted his thoughts, "We've discovered the fire of your house, 3100 Willow Pond was a direct result of arson. A lighter was discovered underneath the charred remains of a desk and laptop, with this emblem," She held up a photograph that showed the lighter, "We've also discovered that your automobile accident was the result of a negligent driver," Jonathan recognized it instantly, it had been associated with a recently bankrupted Hotel Company, Hart Industries had been giving an opportunity to purchase the failing company but when his investigators dug into the finances, they discovered that the owners had played and loose with their investors' money, which could led to lawsuits and could potentially bankrupt his own company, he wasn't willing to put himself or his employees into financial disarray, he prided himself on being respectable and loyal to those who work for him, he had high expectations for himself and his employees as well. But Jonathan never imagined when he turned that deal, it would affect his personal life. "I have to go," He stammered before getting up and rushing off, despite his vision being still hazy and his limited driving, he knew in his gut, that not only was he in danger, but Jennifer was as well. His thoughts briefly went to Max and Riley. "LA Mobile, Give me Hart Security!" He barked into the phone, "I want round the clock security at the Four Seasons Hotel, no one is to enter or leave without my consent."

Pulling into the Hospital, he threw the car into park and raced into the Hospital, his eyes a distant memory as well as his car, his thoughts of only getting to Jennifer. She wasn't safe and he needed to protect her. Jonathan raced to her hospital room and threw open the door to find a woman cleaning the room but Jennifer wasn't there, "Where is my wife," he demanded to know but the cleaning woman, startled, threw herself against the wall in fear and couldn't speak, "Where is Jennifer Hart," He repeated louder.

A Hand grabbed him from behind and he whipped around to face a large orderly, but at this point, he would have wrestled an entire football team if it meant getting to his wife, "Where is she?!", the Orderly shoved Jonathan against the wall, "Mr. Hart, if you don't calm down, you'll have to leave!", Jonathan shoved the orderly back, "I'll calm down when I know where my wife is!" A nurse jumped in between the two of them, "Mr. Hart, your wife has been moved up to the 12th floor, room 1243" Jonathan nodded and giving the orderly one more shove, raced to the elevators. Impatient, He decided that the Elevator was taking too long and noticing a staircase, ran up 12 flights, every flight of stairs seemed longer and longer and by the 8th floor, he was sweating, and he could barely breathe but he knew, he had to push through the pain. He slowed his running but still kept up a frantic pace until he finally landed on the 12th

floor. Somehow, Jonathan found her room but when he got to the door, he found the Door locked. "Jennifer!" He yelled and through the tiny window, slamming his hands against the window, she turned at the noise and he saw that her hands were restrained, her face streaked with tears, "Jonathan!", Jonathan raced to the nurses station and looked around for someone to help him but he couldn't find a single person. He raced around the corridor of the hospital floor until he spotted a young doctor with a stethoscope, "You, are you a Doctor," He demanded to know. "Yes, I'm a second year resident," the Doctor looked confused and a bit worried, Jonathan's face was red, his hair was all over the place and his breathing was labored , "Are you alright, Sir," "No, I want you to follow me to my wife's room and tell me why she's been moved up to this floor, what floor is this?!" Jonathan looked around, noticing that all the doors had locks and the windows were sealed shut with bars. The Doctor, who stood at Jonathan's height with dark features, narrowed his eyes, "Sir, this is the psyche ward," Jonathan was pretty sure his heart stopped beating for a moment.

"The what." He choked out, "What is my wife on the Psyche floor?"

"I'm not sure," the Doctor stumbled, "Let me check her file," they both walked back to the Nurses station where a dark-haired nurse was sitting, checking her computer, "I need the file for a Mrs." The Doctor trailed off …. He didn't know her name. "Jennifer Amelia Edwards Hart," Jonathan said, he could feel the veins in his forehead pulsate. "Oh Yes, Mrs. Hart," the Nurse looked up Jennifer's file in the computer, "Mrs. Hart was admitted to the floor because of hallucinations." Jonathan narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean, hallucinations" Jennifer wasn't one to exaggerate or become hysterical."Mrs. Hart was screaming that a Man was in her room, we searched the hospital but were unable to prove her claims and so we had to assume that she was having some sort of fit and that she needed to be transferred to the psych floor," The Nurse read. Jonathan raised his eyebrow, "My wife is being stalked and you committed her?, I want her out now! Open the door!" "I'm sorry, Sir but a Doctor is the only one who can authorize the release of a patient," the Nurse jumped back, frightened of the anger on Jonathan's face. "I don't care who I have to speak with or if I have to kick the door down , I want my wife and I want her now," Jonathan barked.

"I'm sorry, Sir" the Nurse insisted, "But until we can get her doctor to allow her release, Mrs. Hart is a patient on this floor until 72 hours have passed." Jonathan became incensed, his wife was being held prisoner against her will and he would be damned if he let this continue. He turned to the young Resident, "Can't you help us, please?"

"I'm sorry," The Doctor was genuinely remorseful, "I don't have those privileges," Jonathan gritted his back teeth, "My wife is in danger, I need to get her to a safe place,"

"No Offense, Sir but there's no place safer than here," the Nurse said quietly. Jonathan slammed his fist against the desk counter and went to Jennifer's room, where he sat for the next 12 hours until it was time for medication to be distributed, he waited until a Nurse opened Jennifer's door and slipped in while her back was turned, Jennifer's body was curled up in the fetal position with her body facing away from him, but something about his presence she felt even though she was detaching emotionally.

After Elliot had slipped into her room the night before, when she screamed for help, he sat back and laughed, no one would believe her and he'd thought to detach the call bell so that she would be forced to listen to him.

Except that she refused to listen, she continued to yell until He walked across the room and put his hand over her mouth, "Baby, you know you can scream as loud as you want but we both know, you are going to listen to me, we belong together and you know it, this has been just a waiting game, when the time is right, I'll be back for you," She inhaled the scent of his cologne before biting down on his hand, "Bitch!" Elliot hissed before slapping her face.

And after he left her room, she worried that Jonathan was in trouble, but he'd already lost his vision, what if Elliot could actually murder Jonathan, the very idea made her scream for help over and over again but no one would believe her, she briefly wondered if the fire and her falling made her dream of Elliot but when she saw his calling card, a black rose, it was then she began yelling again, begging someone, anyone to listen to her. But they instead claimed she was acting maniac and that she needed to be sedated, Jennifer fought them as hard as she could, even kicking an intern, who was trying to hold her down but it seemed like the more she begged and yelled. The less they listened to her.

But when Jennifer saw the floor they were bringing her to, she actually jumped off the bed, not realizing that her leg had been restrained to the bed, she'd gotten half off the bed before she fell off and banged her face against the side of the gurney, stunned she allowed them to help her back on the gurney but still resisted until they sedated her. For hours, she slept fitfully, wondering why now, after all these years would Elliot come back? He'd led a life that he wanted, one with financial prosperity; and she'd assume he'd married but the truth was, Jennifer hadn't given him a thought in nearly a decade, she was too happy living her life with Jonathan to really care and now she wondered if that carelessness would cost Jonathan his life?

But when she felt a man's presence in her room, she briefly wondered if Elliot was back before she smelled that familiar cologne and her heart sped up for a moment but when Jonathan placed his hand over mouth and whispered that she needed to be kept quiet, she wondered why but when he picked her up after releasing her from her restraints, she understood.

Jonathan was doing what he did best when it came to Jennifer, rescuing her.

He carried her out to the Hallway where the Doctor and Nurses watched and yelled for him to stop, but he heard no sound, no noise, only the beating of his heart and know that what he was doing was best.

His Jennifer was in danger and he needed to save her, at any cost.

He managed to slip into the elevator and down to the lobby, where Jonathan was worried Security would try to stop them but he managed to carry her downstairs in the elevator to the front door, where a kind man with salt and pepper hair held the door for him, it seemed like this stranger understood that he wasn't kidnapping a patient so much as rescuing her.

It had begun to rain while Jonathan struggled to carry his normally light wife across the long lobby and when he got outside, he realized that she would have to walk because his back couldn't handle her frame and in case they had to run.

Just outside of the Hospital Doors, He put her down and she looked at his face, his eyes were sad and he looked exhausted, she pulled his face to hers and gave him a long lingering kiss.

Pulling back after a few moments, Jonathan looked at her face, with her black eye from hitting the side of the gurney and her lip was swollen from where Elliot slapped her, his heart sank but he knew that this was not the time for him to ask questions, he needed her to run because any moment, "HEY!" Someone yelled from inside the Hospital, Jonathan took her hand and they ran across the parking lot to the car.

They were almost to the car when she stopped, "Jonathan, I can't run with this hospital gown on, I feel like my entire backside is showing " he bent down and ripped the bottom of it, "That's quite not what I meant," He kissed her quickly and they continued to run to the car and when they got to the car, he didn't realize, he must have left the keys in the ignition and locked the car door, "Oh Jonathan!, what are we going to do?" Jennifer cried out, she looked around and realized how it must look, she was in a hospital gown and socks while her husband was wearing a rumpled suit and his hair was all over the place.

Jonathan took a deep breath and taking off his jackets, he wrapped it around his hand and punch the window. The first blow didn't break the window but the sixth time did and when it shattered, Jennifer, who was sitting on the ground wondering if she was safer back in the hospital except Jonathan's hand had slipped through the jacket and he sliced his hand, but he didn't feel any pain, just the sense of urgency to get them both out of there. "Jonathan, you are bleeding, we need to go back inside of the hospital," He looked at her as if she were insane, "You want to go back inside after we've just broken you out and our lives are in danger?" Jonathan walked around the side of the car and got inside, rolling her eyes, Jennifer got in beside him.

"We can't go back to the hotel, where are we going?" She put her seat belt, she hoped they were going someplace where she could actually clothes on before, this flimsy hospital gown was doing nothing for her body and she was cold, not to mention, she hated the feeling of driving through their town and having it reported she was broken out of the hospital wearing only her gown and underwear.

They drove in silence through downtown LA and up the coast in silence, Jonathan periodically looking in the mirror, for what she wasn't sure, maybe the Police? Or could it be a car that seemed to be trailing behind them, whatever it was, Jennifer's curiosity was becoming worrisome.

"Darling, where are we going?" She finally asked.

Jonathan looked around and finally, after taking her hand, "To the Cabin,"


End file.
